Extended Play

White Denim’s debut EP, Let’s Talk About It, has proved a self-fulfilling prophecy. Last week, Pitchforkmedia.com rated the peppermint-colored 7-inch a solid 7.3, dubbing it “the Music Machine's hip grandson, all grimy, convulsive rawk with a heavy dollop of Texas scuzz and cocksure spaz.”

Along with a few dates with the Walkmen and White Rabbits, the local trio has been added to San Francisco’s Noise Pop 2008, and debuted its second downloadable single, “Paint Silver Gold,” on the ad-generated RCRD LBL. A vinyl full-length is expected in late February.

Ghostland Observatory, meanwhile, is confirmed for Langerado Music Festival in March, and has finished mastering its self-recorded third album, Robotique Majestique, with Nilesh Patel (Daft Punk, Justice) at London’s Exchange. The duo’s CD release extravaganza is confirmed for Feb. 29 at the Austin Music Hall. Presale tickets (password: Ghost) are currently available through gettix.net for $30, which includes a copy of the album. Hey, those lasers aren’t cheap.

“It’s not as Candyland as our first stuff was,” dishes frontman Aaron Behrens. “This has bit a of darkness in there. You feel like you’ve been on a journey by the end, just like, 'Man, where the fuck have I been!'”

Last year, Grupo Fantasma performed with Prince at CBS’ Super Bowl party on Miami Beach. Following the dismantlement of the ‘Boys last Sunday, Kina Grannis is the last Texan left with a shot at the championship. The coffee shop songstress is one of three finalists in Doritos’ Crash the Super Bowl Contest, wherein one band earns a minute-long video to air during the game and a contract with Interscope Records. The final round of voting runs through Jan. 27 here.

Time to saddle up for the 71st Annual Star of Texas Fair & Rodeo, slated Mar. 1-15 at the Travis County Expo Center. Two years after Nelly became the first hip-hop artist to perform, hair metal specialists Styx secure this year’s wildcard slot. Tickets go on sale tomorrow here.

No word yet on whether or not Willie Nelson’s appearance will interfere with his annual performance at the Backyard during SXSW. The lineup:

Mar. 1 - Randy Rogers Band
Mar. 2 - Rodney Atkins
Mar. 3 - Gretchen Wilson
Mar. 4 - Willie Nelson
Mar. 5 - Tracy Lawrence
Mar. 6 - Styx
Mar. 7- TBA
Mar. 8- Miranda Lambert
Mar. 9- George Jones
Mar. 10 - Natasha Bedingfield
Mar. 11 - Clay Walker
Mar. 12 - Joe Nichols
Mar. 13 - Jason Aldean
Mar. 14 - Sean Kingston
Mar. 15 - Kevin Fowler